358 EXAMINATION OF THE PRESENT STATE 
It consists of a quantity of tea, a tin of condensed milk, and about 
two pounds of sugar, boiled together for some hours in a huge kettle. 
Day and night this remarkable beverage is on tap as long as the 
vessel is at sea, and every man has a mug of it within reach, what- 
ever he may be doing. I can confidently recommend it to anyone 
who wishes to experience most of the sensations of sea-sickness 
without the trouble of going to sea. For any other purpose I have 
nothing to say in its favour, nor, I believe, have those who have 
medical cognisance of the piscatorial constitution. 
Our first haul was made late at night on the Danish coast to the 
north of the Reef, and for a day and a half we worked along north- 
wards, fairly close inshore, without any luck at all. A heavy sea 
was running, and we did little but tear our nets, so that all hands 
were busy mending one net while the other was fishing. The 
skipper of a steam-trawler appears to have no actual duties beyond 
that of command, except when the net is being shot or hauled. In 
the first case he takes the helm, and in the last he has charge of the 
steam-winch. He takes no share of the watches, nor does he assist 
in the cleaning and stowing of the fish, but in mending the gear he 
generally lends a hand. ‘The skipper should be, and generally is, 
the best hand on the vessel, and with the netting needle certainly 
no one could come near our particular skipper. All hands, except 
the engineers, have to turn out when the trawl is shot or hauled, but 
are otherwise divided into watches. The usual practice on steamers 
is to make two hauls of six hours at night ; and the same, or one of 
twelve hours, by day. On bad ground, or when fish is very plentiful, 
shorter hauls are made, Sailing vessels, when “ fleeting,”’ usually 
shoot towards nightfall and haul by daybreak, the daytime being 
occupied in getting their fish on board the cutter and beating up to 
windward towards the place where they shot on the previous evening. 
“Single boating’? smacks either follow the same practice or take 
whatever chance of fishing may be offered by the wind, and of course 
all sailmg vessels are dependent on the vagaries of the weather to 
an extent from which the “ wind-jammers ”’ * are exempt. 
The technique of hauling is as follows.t The ship is brought 
round broadside to the wind, and the main engine stopped. The 
skipper takes charge of the steam-winch, and the warp is got in 
until the shackle appears. Then the after-bridle is unshackled and 
passed to the stem, where the mate makes it fast to a hawser borne 
* Steam vessels. 
+ The mouth of the trawl is formed above by the “beam ”’ terminating in the “ heads ” 
or “irons,” and below by the heavily weighted “ ground-rope.” From each “ head” 
runs a “ bridle ;” the two ‘ bridles” meet at the ‘‘ shackle,’’ which is connected with the 
winch of the trawler by the “ warp.” 
